Summary: A sermon that helps us to know what to do when we are in a spiritual rut

As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh, my Lord,” he cried out, “it was borrowed.”

We don’t know the reason why the axhead fell off but we do know it wasn’t because he was doing something he should not of being doing.

As he was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water…

Application

As we try to go about doing the work of the Lord sometimes through no fault of our own the unexpected can happen…

Suddenly everything that can go wrong- does go wrong

Specific situations

You are trying to do the work of the Lord but suddenly something bad happens to you and now you find yourself stuck in a spiritual rut

You never intended this to happen but it did!

Maybe it happened because

•Your boss comes against you…

•Your family falls to pieces

•Your health gets worse

•You lose your job.

•Your bills start piling up

•Life suddenly gets too busy

•Maybe some sin has got a hold of you

•Your friends don’t approve

•Maybe another Christian disappointed you

You find yourself today in a place where you have lost your axhead!

You find yourself no longer doing anything for the Lord that really means something.

You find yourself stuck in a spiritual rut!

What do you do when you find yourself in a place you don’t want to be?

Our passage gives us the answer

“Oh, my Lord,” he cried out, “it was borrowed.”

The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.”

Notice

First of all we have got to cry out to the Lord for help.

We can’t make the mistake of pretending to ourselves and to others that nothing is wrong.

If something bad happens and we find ourselves stuck in a spiritual rut we need to admit it/acknowledge it

As men in particular

We are not very quick to admit when we are stuck in a spiritual rut

We could be stuck in a spiritual rut for years and years and never admit it.

So why do we find this man in our passage admitting something terrible was wrong immediately?

It turns out the ahead wasn’t his to begin with – Instead we are told it was borrowed!

Here is the application (Some of us are not going to like this application)

Everything that you and I have -we have because we borrowed it!

It’s all been borrowed from God

Nothing is mine- nothing is yours – it’s all God’s!

God owns everything and he lets us borrow it for a time

It’s not my ministry - it’s God’s ministry

It’s understandable to be stuck in a spiritual rut but it doesn’t make it ok!

Whatever we have lost spiritually in our lives we have got to get it back